Tel Aviv – the city, the sights, the culture and an absolute favorite of mine – The Dead Sea.

In the spring I travelled to the perfect holiday destination, Tel Aviv in Israel. The reason why it’s a perfect destination can be described with few words: fantastic beaches, great food and drinks, shopping bargains, a bunch of interesting sights and history, The Dead Sea (my absolute favorite) and the weather. Maybe that wasn’t a few words, but it’s hard to undermine my enthusiasme and excitement.

I want to share my favorite experiences and memories with you. I stayed in Tel Aviv, but I went on (historical) sightseeing in and around Jerusalem and Bethlehem. There’s loads to see and in a minute you’ll learn why.

My biggest experience in my trip to Israel was….

… Without a doubt – bathing in The Dead Sea. It has been on my bucket list for a few years now, and I knew that I had to try it one day. That’s why I was completely extatic when I covered myself in mud and jumped into the salty water. It felt unbelievable. A must, must try for everyone who likes bathing, wellness and is up for trying something different.

The Dead Sea experience is different for everyone. For me it felt like the texture in the salty water was a bit thick and pooked my body. I floated and it felt really, really wonderful, peaceful and fun at the same time. They recommend that you only stay in for 10-15 minutes at a time, so you don’t start to itch, because the salt will do that you if you stay in too long.

My best meal in Tel Aviv was…

…A juicy burger from Agadir Burgers (the best burger in the world – according to their commercials). I wouldn’t say that, but the burger was definitely tasty,

We sat outside and enjoyed a “romantic dinner” next to the pavement. It was hot, late in the evening and a burger was just what we craved for.

Another great meal we got was in a café named “Gordo” that was located next to the seafront.

Really tasty meal – especially the salad.

My best shopping experience…

… Was when I went to the mall and got a great bargain on two pairs of sunglasses (no doubt it helped that we bought three pairs). Besides the great bargain we got a tax free refund in the airport. So it really “paid off” to shop for sunglasses. (Just remember that if you want a tax free refund you need to get a tax free reciept from the shop and pack your goods in your hand luggage. The tax free personel will ask to see the goods to do the refund).

… Another great shopping experience was AHAVA. Body care products with salt from the Dead Sea.

The spot where I really got in the holiday spirit….

… Was on the rooftop of our hotel. The view was amazing, the sunbeds were comfy and the sun was warm and kind to us. I enjoyed it with some fashion magazines, my favorite (cashew)nuts and my BF next to me.

My favorite cultural moment….

… Was when we visited mountain Masada in the desert. The view was stunning and we could see Jordan on the other side of The Dead Sea.

It was extremely hot in the desert and to get to the top of the mountain we (fortunately) had to take a little ride. Some people walk, but it’s a long way to the top.

On mountain Masada there was once a big castle built by Herod the Great. He build it on the top of the mountain so that his enemies couldn’t get to him. I recommend that you brush up on the history or get a guide to tell you the story, because it’s very interesting. This is a copy of how the castle looked in it’s original form. Today there are only ruins left, but it’s still a great experience.

My biggest historical moment was…

… Without a doubt Jerusalem.

The Western Wall.

(Easter) parade.

Mount of Olives.

Orthodox and their impressive garments.

Snapshots from the city blocks.

Snapshots from Bethlehem.

When to travel?

I went to Tel Aviv during Easter, which meant, that there were certain bank holidays that we needed to consider. Unfortunately we weren’t aware that a lot of the city would be closed dow.. Had we known, we would have planned our trip better. I don’t recommend that you travel during Easter unless you are religious and that is your purpose of the trip. Then it’s definitely an amazing experience. If you are just looking for a “regular holiday” I would recommend to avoid Easter, since many shops, restaurants and malls will be closed.

If you travel to Tel Aviv you DEFINETLY have to go to Jaffa, a city right next to it. It’s so nice and feels local. I’ll write about Jaffa another time. Hope you got some good inspo from this post.